When a bottle is found on the side of the road, dirty and discarded; it has not lost it's value- it needs only to be redeemed. So it is with a man or woman in the eyes of God. We never lose our value- we need only to be redeemed. We are all precious in His sight! John 3:16

Law and Grace – Conflict or Peace!

As I sat this morning to contemplate a world on fire, the words of the apostle James came rushing in like a flood, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” The book of Hebrews tells us the law made nothing perfect; that there is a bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God. ~ Hebrews 7:19; meaning quite simply that the law would not allow man to draw near to God; but that the New Covenant agreement between God and man would. That is of course should one actually choose to enter in. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 11: 28-29: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Notice the word rest is used two times in this short set. The Master knowing full well that the law would always produce a state of unrest which in the end will always bring about conflict, confusion and spiritual blindness, i.e. death! The following is an example of what the apostle James would say to the law driven religious evangelicals of our day:

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend to the world makes Himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the scripture says in vain, the spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. ~ James 4:1-8

Authors note:
My friends the law demands that we fight for our rights! The gospel on the other hand declares that we are to look out for the rights of others and esteem others better than ourselves. That we are in fact ministers of reconciliation! I know this will not sit well with the constitutionally driven right, but then the flesh is always at odds with the spirit; just as surely as friendship with the world is enmity with God.

Father please give us discernment that we may know what is of you and what is not! That we do not fall prey to any more shock and awe campaigns posed by Christian lawyers who do not know You from Adam. Father let us radiate the love You have so freely given us towards those in need of that love! We thank You Father that You hear us and that You love us. In your precious name Jesus…Amen!

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ~ Col.2:6-8

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ~ Gal. 5: 22-23